Emirati man feeds pet lion with baby bottle
Photos circulating on social media show the businessman with the lion on his knee
Dubai: The UAE is known for its fair share of exotic pets.
And in this photo, which has been circulating on Twitter since Saturday, you can truly see how passionate Emiratis are about their pets.
Twitter user @Nawabzaadaaa posted the photo of businessman Suhail Al Zarooni with his lion in Karachi.
Al Zarooni made headlines for holding the Guinness World Record twice, in 2002 and 2003, for his collection of over 7,000 miniature model cars.
Residents in the Gulf who own lions, leopards and cheetahs regularly show-off their pets on social media, although private ownership of exotic animals have been banned – especially in the UAE.
Gulf News previously reported that the Law on Regulation of Ownership of Dangerous Animals was revised last January, which resulted in heftier penalties against people owning wild animals.
Possession of dangerous animals for trading purposes will be penalised with a jail term, or a fine ranging between Dh50,000 and Dh500,000 or both.
Anyone who takes a leopard, cheetah or any other kind of exotic animal out in public will face a jail term of up to six month and a fine ranging between Dh10,000 and Dh500,000.
Only zoos, wildlife parks, circuses, breeding and research centres are entitled to keep wild or exotic animals. The public is urged to report cases of wild animals being kept as pets.
